The invention relates to an induction hob having a plurality of induction heating elements and a method for operating an induction hob.
What are known as matrix induction hobs with a plurality of induction heating elements are known from the prior art, the induction heating elements being disposed in a grid or matrix. The comparatively small induction heating elements can be combined flexibly to form essentially freely definable heating zones. A control unit of the induction hob can detect cooking utensil elements and combine the induction heating elements that are covered at least to some degree by a base of the detected cooking utensil element to form a heating zone assigned to the detected cooking utensil element and operate them in a synchronized manner. Such induction hobs comprise a measurement array which the control unit can use to capture characteristic variables for a power of the individual induction heating elements and to regulate the power to a setpoint value. Such a characteristic variable may be for example a resistance, a current and/or an impedance of the induction heating element, the electrical characteristics of which are influenced by the cooking utensil element.
Since the induction heating elements are operated with high-frequency currents compared with grid voltage, it is complex to measure and evaluate the signals of the measurement array and it is cost-intensive to provide the sensor system for each individual induction heating element.